diff --git a/packages/stack/example/src/SimpleStack.js b/packages/stack/example/src/SimpleStack.js
index c6252be5..9142e712 100644
--- a/packages/stack/example/src/SimpleStack.js
+++ b/packages/stack/example/src/SimpleStack.js
@@ -63,10 +63,17 @@ class DetailsScreen extends React.Component {
         }}
       >
         <Text>Details Screen</Text>
+        <Button title="Go back in 2s" onPress={this._goBackInTwoSeconds} />
         <Buttons />
       </View>
     );
   }
+
+  _goBackInTwoSeconds = () => {
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      this.props.navigation.goBack();
+    }, 2000);
+  };
 }
 
 class HeaderlessScreen extends React.Component {
diff --git a/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackView.js b/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackView.js
index 3521c2bd..15e95c1f 100644
--- a/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackView.js
+++ b/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackView.js
@@ -1,13 +1,11 @@
 import React from 'react';
-import { NativeModules } from 'react-native';
 
 import { StackActions } from '@react-navigation/core';
 import StackViewLayout from './StackViewLayout';
 import Transitioner from '../Transitioner';
 import TransitionConfigs from './StackViewTransitionConfigs';
 
-const NativeAnimatedModule =
-  NativeModules && NativeModules.NativeAnimatedModule;
+const USE_NATIVE_DRIVER = true;
 
 // NOTE(brentvatne): this was previously in defaultProps, but that is deceiving
 // because the entire object will be clobbered by navigationConfig that is
@@ -67,7 +65,7 @@ class StackView extends React.Component {
         prevTransitionProps,
         this.props.navigationConfig.mode === 'modal'
       ).transitionSpec,
-      useNativeDriver: !!NativeAnimatedModule,
+      useNativeDriver: USE_NATIVE_DRIVER,
     };
   };
 
diff --git a/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackViewLayout.js b/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackViewLayout.js
index 4d74fb94..12ff492e 100644
--- a/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackViewLayout.js
+++ b/packages/stack/src/views/StackView/StackViewLayout.js
@@ -90,9 +90,6 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
    */
   _gestureStartValue = 0;
 
-  // tracks if a touch is currently happening
-  _isResponding = false;
-
   /**
    * immediateIndex is used to represent the expected index that we will be on after a
    * transition. To achieve a smooth animation when swiping back, the action to go back
@@ -203,7 +200,7 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     const onCompleteAnimation = () => {
       this._immediateIndex = null;
       const backFromScene = scenes.find(s => s.index === toValue + 1);
-      if (!this._isResponding && backFromScene) {
+      if (backFromScene) {
         navigation.dispatch(
           NavigationActions.back({
             key: backFromScene.route.key,
@@ -310,6 +307,14 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     }
   }
 
+  componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
+    const { state: prevState } = prevProps.transitionProps.navigation;
+    const { state } = this.props.transitionProps.navigation;
+    if (prevState.index !== state.index) {
+      this._maybeCancelGesture();
+    }
+  }
+
   _getGestureResponseDistance = () => {
     const { scene } = this.props.transitionProps;
     const { options } = scene.descriptor;
@@ -392,7 +397,7 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     this.props.transitionProps.position.setValue(Math.max(0, value));
   };
 
-  _computeHorizontalGestureValue = nativeEvent => {
+  _computeHorizontalGestureValue = ({ translationX }) => {
     let {
       transitionProps: { navigation, layout },
     } = this.props;
@@ -402,15 +407,13 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     // TODO: remove this __getValue!
     let distance = layout.width.__getValue();
 
-    let translationX = this._isMotionInverted()
-      ? -1 * nativeEvent.translationX
-      : nativeEvent.translationX;
+    let x = this._isMotionInverted() ? -1 * translationX : translationX;
 
-    let value = index - translationX / distance;
+    let value = index - x / distance;
     return clamp(index - 1, value, index);
   };
 
-  _computeVerticalGestureValue = nativeEvent => {
+  _computeVerticalGestureValue = ({ translationY }) => {
     let {
       transitionProps: { navigation, layout },
     } = this.props;
@@ -420,15 +423,19 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     // TODO: remove this __getValue!
     let distance = layout.height.__getValue();
 
-    let translationY = this._isMotionInverted()
-      ? -1 * nativeEvent.translationY
-      : nativeEvent.translationY;
-    let value = index - translationY / distance;
+    let y = this._isMotionInverted() ? -1 * translationY : translationY;
+    let value = index - y / distance;
     return clamp(index - 1, value, index);
   };
 
   _handlePanGestureStateChange = ({ nativeEvent }) => {
     if (nativeEvent.oldState === State.ACTIVE) {
+      // Gesture was cancelled! For example, some navigation state update
+      // arrived while the gesture was active that cancelled it out
+      if (!this.state.gesturePosition) {
+        return;
+      }
+
       if (this._isMotionVertical()) {
         this._handleReleaseVertical(nativeEvent);
       } else {
@@ -443,6 +450,16 @@ class StackViewLayout extends React.Component {
     }
   };
 
+  // note: this will not animated so nicely because the position is unaware
+  // of the gesturePosition, so if we are in the middle of swiping the screen away
+  // and back is programatically fired then we will reset to the initial position
+  // and animate from there
+  _maybeCancelGesture = () => {
+    if (this.state.gesturePosition) {
+      this.setState({ gesturePosition: null });
+    }
+  };
+
   _handleActivateGestureHorizontal = () => {
     let { index } = this.props.transitionProps.navigation.state;
 
diff --git a/packages/stack/src/views/Transitioner.js b/packages/stack/src/views/Transitioner.js
index 3d26d8bf..0d3e7948 100644
--- a/packages/stack/src/views/Transitioner.js
+++ b/packages/stack/src/views/Transitioner.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { Animated, Easing, StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';
 import invariant from '../utils/invariant';
-import shallowEqual from '../utils/shallowEqual';
 
 import NavigationScenesReducer from './ScenesReducer';
 
@@ -293,14 +292,6 @@ function isSceneActive(scene) {
   return scene.isActive;
 }
 
-function isRouteShallowEqual(a, b) {
-  let routeA = { ...a };
-  delete routeA.routes;
-  let routeB = { ...b };
-  delete routeB.routes;
-  return shallowEqual(routeA, routeB);
-}
-
 const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   main: {
     flex: 1,